Roles of physical functioning and comorbid mental illness of chronically ill parents and their spouses' health status in adolescent functioning.

INTRODUCTION: Emerging research suggests that physically ill parents' psychological adjustment to illness and emotional well-being may affect adolescents' psychosocial functioning. As people with chronic medical conditions often develop mental disorders, it is important to examine the influence of comorbidity of parental physical and mental health conditions on adolescents' functioning. In addition, the physical and mental health status of the spouses/partners of chronically ill parents needs to be explored to further understand the potential impact of parental chronic illness on adolescents' psychological distress and academic performance. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 164 parent-adolescent pairs were collected through online surveys in the United States between 2018 and 2019. Parent participants (Mage = 42.69, SD = 5.96) included parents who had been diagnosed with a chronic physical illness (e.g., multiple sclerosis, diabetes, chronic pain, cancer). Adolescent participants were middle- and high-school-aged children who lived with their physically ill parents (Mage = 14.34, SD = 2.07). RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that comorbid mental illness of parental chronic illness and spousal mental health status were associated with adolescents' distress. The level of physical functioning of chronically ill parents was related to adolescents' academic performance. CONCLUSION: Parental chronic illness appears to affect adolescents' psychological and academic outcomes through distinct pathways. It is important to examine the comorbid mental health status of chronically ill parents and their spouses'/partners' mental health conditions to better understand the impact of parental chronic illness on adolescents' psychological adjustment.

A Preliminary Study of COVID-19-related Stressors, Parenting Stress, and Parental Psychological Well-being Among Parents of School-age Children.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had substantial health, social, and economic effects on families. Consequent lockdowns and school closures heightened the burden on parents of school-age children. Many parents, while working from home, had to care for their children with restricted access to caregiver resources and to support their children's education through homeschooling or remote learning provided by their schools. These duties created challenges and pressures on parents. Using online survey data collected from 197 parents of school-age (Prek-12) children during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., this preliminary study examined the relations among COVID-19-related stressors, including fear of COVID-19 and problems associated with school closures, parenting stress, and parental psychological well-being. Fear of COVID-19 and various issues associated with school closures were related to parenting stress and parental well-being. Parents with less instrumental and emotional support reported higher levels of parenting stress and lower levels of psychological well-being. The results of hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that parenting stress was the strongest predictor of parental psychological distress. Social support was associated with parental well-being but did not mediate the relation between parenting stress and parental well-being. The findings suggest that parenting stress during the COVID-19 lockdowns might take a toll on the mental health of parents of school-age children. Parents of school-age children need multiple layers of support, including targeted support addressing stressors related to school closures and parenting under quarantine.

Grieving During the COVID-19 Pandemic: In-Person and Virtual "Goodbye".

This study examined the relationship between having an opportunity to say goodbye to a dying family member or friend in person or virtually, as well as attending their funeral services in person or virtually, and the bereaved individuals' psychological distress and complicated grief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five hundred and nineteen US adults who had lost a family member or a friend between January 2020 and June 2021 completed an online survey for this study. Only a small proportion of participants were able to say goodbye to their dying family member or friend in person, and saying goodbye virtually was associated with higher levels of complicated grief and psychological distress. Those who physically attended a formal, in-person funeral or memorial service reported lower levels of psychological distress. The findings suggest a complicated process of saying goodbye in different formats during the pandemic.

Psychosocial factors associated with mask-wearing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although increasing evidence has supported the efficacy of masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), inconsistent and noncompliant mask-wearing behavior has been observed among members of the society. Because mask-wearing is often considered a social contract, it is important to understand the psychosocial factors that influence people's mask-wearing behavior in order to implement the necessary steps to respond to the pandemic. Based on the protection motivation theory (PMT), this study examined the cognitive factors (threat and coping appraisals) that contribute to mask-wearing behavior and the intention to engage in health protective behavior until the end of the pandemic. Furthermore, we examined the roles of social (perceived social norm) and affective (fear) factors in mask-wearing behavior and intention. The sample included 981 voluntary adults in the United States who completed an online survey for this study between 15 October 2020 and 28 November 2020. The results of hierarchical multiple regressions showed that all PMT variables (severity, susceptibility, response efficacy, and self-efficacy) were associated with mask-wearing behavior and intention to engage in health protective behavior until the end of the pandemic. Perceived social norm and fear provided unique, additive contributions to the predictability of mask-wearing behavior and intention. Overall findings suggest the importance of considering cognitive, social, and affective factors altogether in order to better understand an individual' intention and behavior toward mask wearing during the pandemic.

Impact of the 2020 pandemic of COVID-19 on Families with School-aged Children in the United States: Roles of Income Level and Race.

This study examined the experiences of families with school-aged children during the first three months of the 2020 pandemic of COVID-19 in the United States, while focusing on the roles of income level and race/ethnicity in their experiences. Two hundred and twenty-three parents of school-aged children participated in this study by completing an online survey. The results revealed that low-income and lower-middle class parents, as well as parents of color, experienced more instrumental and financial hardships due to the pandemic, when compared to their higher income, White counterparts. In contrast, parents with higher income and White parents were more likely to feel stressed over structuring home learning environments and planning educational and physical activities at home for their children. The overall findings suggest that family income level and race/ethnicity play a significant role in the lives of families coping with a variety of challenges due to the pandemic.

Physical and psychological conditions of parental chronic illness, parentification and adolescent psychological adjustment.

Objective: We examined the differential predictive powers of physical and psychological impacts of parental physical illness, as well as both instrumental and emotional aspects of parentification, on adolescent distress.Design: Forty-seven parents with chronic physical illness and 132 adolescent children completed separate questionnaires that measured parental health conditions and adolescents' parentification, peer attachment, and psychological distress.Main findings: Ill parents' energy/fatigue level was not related to adolescent distress, but ill parents' emotional well-being was directly associated with adolescent distress. Adolescents' household responsibilities were not linked to their distress level; however, higher levels of emotional parentification appeared to affect their psychological adjustment. Higher quality of peer attachment was related to lower adolescent distress.Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of addressing and fostering physically ill parents' psychosocial adjustment and emotional availability, restoring a sense of normalcy in family adaptation processes, and facilitating emotional support for adolescents, including positive parent-child relationship and peer attachment.

Bully victimization, depression, and the role of protective factors among college LGBTQ students.

This study surveyed 347 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning college students from across the United States concerning their bully victimization, depressive symptoms, and sources of support. Participants responded to an online survey that asked them about their victimization experiences during the 3 months prior to the survey. The results indicate that four types of bully victimization (verbal, relational, cyber, and physical) occur during the college years, and that victimization relates positively to depressive symptomatology in sexual minority college students. The 4 forms of bullying did not relate to depression in the same manner for each of the 5 sexual minority subgroups. Peer support, but not family and campus support, provided a buffer against depression for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. This study involved a sample exclusively comprising sexual minority college students, and the findings show the need for colleges to address bully victimization and its effects in this population.